Solar photovoltaic (PV) and earthing/lightning protection (ELP) specialist Pekat Group Bhd has completed a RM33.1 mil engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning (EPCC) project for first national car manufacturer Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Sdn Bhd (PROTON) in a record time of 24 weeks or six months ahead of schedule.
The project entailed designing, supplying, installing, testing and commissioning of a 12 megawatt-peak (MW) grid connected solar PV system at PROTON’s Tanjung Malim plant in Perak through its wholly owned subsidiary Pekat Solar Sdn Bhd and MFP Solar Sdn Bhd. Both companies are registered solar photovoltaic investors (RPVI).
MFP Solar is a 55:45 joint venture jointly-owned between Mega First C&I Solar Sdn Bhd, a unit of Mega First Corp Bhd and Pekat Teknologi Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pekat Group, to undertake solar projects in Malaysia.
The project which encompasses a car park area of approximately 23 acres with 2,880 parking lots entailed the usage of 20,544 pieces of solar panel while the rooftop facility required a further 7,664 pieces of solar panel.
Utilising the latest bi-facial solar panel technology, the project will enable PROTON to harvest additional energy from the rear side of the module.
This is especially effective at the car park area when light-coloured vehicles parked underneath these solar panels reflect the sun’s radiation, hence providing the extra yields. This is first of its kind for such a large-scale project.
Boasting a 9-MWp system capacity, the PROTON car park facility in Tanjung Malim enables annual savings of RM4.39 mil with the capability of reducing carbon dioxide (C02) emission by 8,652 tonnes a year.
Meanwhile, the national car manufacturer’s 3-MWp PROTON rooftop facility which entails annual savings of RM1.46 mil is able to reduce C02 emission by 2,884 tonnes a year.
The deal involves a power purchase agreement (PPA) where MFP Solar will supply power to PROTON at rates stipulated in the 15-year PPA.
Speaking to reporters covering PROTON Renewable Energy Media Tour in Tanjung Malim today, Pekat Group executive director Wee Chek Aik said the company takes pride in having completed the project far ahead of time amid the year-end rainy season and that the facility has been successfully commissioned since May 2021.
“The entire project makes PROTON Tanjung Malim a model automotive plant that promotes the use of clean energy for a better working and living environment. We are proud to be part of the quest to help PROTON achieve Malaysia’s carbon neutral target by 2050,” he noted.
There are five outstanding environmental, social and governance (ESG) elements that will benefit PROTON through this project, namely:
- Reduced usage of conventional fossil fuel supply
- Reduced carbon footprint
- Reduced electricity bills with lower tariff from the solar system
- Reduced used of conventional metal deck by using solar panel as the roof material
- Set example for the rest in the industry by having the largest bi-facial solar-covered car park in Malaysia
“Customers will reap the benefit from PROTON’s investment in new energy technologies for its product range as well as its production processes. This makes PROTON a responsible automotive brand that cares for the environment by investing in new energy technologies,” added Wee.
At 3.25pm, Pekat Group was unchanged at 64 sen with 114,300 shares traded, thus valuing the company at RM413 mil. – March 24, 2022
